WJ^^ 



V 



% 



"CONVERSATIONS 



3^. 



CANADA. '^"^- 



WRITTEN FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS SABBATH SCHOOL 
SOCIETY, AND REVISED BY THE COM- 
MITTEE OF PUBLICATION. 



^ 



BOSTON: 

MASSACHUSETTS SABBATH SCHOOL SOCIETY. 
Depository, No. 13 Cornhill. 

1838. ^^ 






y*^ W^» V» ^v!'-* 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1838, by 

CHRISTOFHER C. DEAN, 
i^ tks Cleric's Office of the District Court of Massachusettt. 



J'- 







^ ADVERTISEMENT. 



The following pages have been prepared 
with a design to communicate to the minds 
of youth some important information re- 
specting the Province of Lower Canada. 
This country is scarcely excelled in beauty 
and grandeur of scenery. In richness and 
fertility of soil it is not surpassed by any in 
the same latitude. Commercially it is of 
great importance ; but morally dark and 
threatening. - 

It has been the object of the writer to 
embody information valuable for all, though 
addressed particularly to children. Most 
of the facts were taken by a recent traveler 
and temporary resident in the Province, but 
the '^ Tour of Silliman" and the reports of 
the " Canada Home Miss, and Education 
Societies," have been assistants in comple- 
ting the work. 
1# 



CANADA. 



PART I. 



As the hour drew near for the arrival of 
the daily stage coach in the village of B. — 
there was no little excitement in one of its 
retired families. An interesting group of 
children were gathered around the win- 
dows, that overlooked the turnpike, while the 
wife and mother though more silent, mani- 
fested in her countenance deeper anxiety. 
In a few moments the rattling wheels and 
prancing horses were in full view, and as 
they turned towards the house "Papa is 



8 CONVERSATIONS 

coming, papa is coming," was heard from 
every mouth until it was exchanged for 
" He's come, he's come." Almost all, who 
know by experience the pain of separation 
from friends, know also the joy of welcom- 
ing their return ; but this joy was height- 
ened on the present occasion by an unex- 
pected delay of several days. The scene 
that followed the unloading of the stage, 
was too sacred for even the pen of affection 
to portray. Suffice it to say, the supper 
soon passed away, and after a few inquiries 
into their domestic concerns, the father 
listened to their requests for a description 
of his tour. 

"Papa," said little Henry,'' I never knew 
any thing about Canada, and mama said 
you would tell us all about it when you 
came home." 

Father. I feel too much fatigued to give 
you a full account of my tour this evening, 
but if you will bring me my map, and seat 
yourselves around the table, I will mention 
some general things. You perceive by 



ON C ANA DA, 



looking upon this, that the Lower Province 
where I spent my time, hes directly north 
of the States of Maine, New Hampshire, 
Vermont and a part of New York. The 
Upper Province bounds it on the west ; the 
Atlantic Ocean on the east ; but its north- 
ern boundary is undefined. It is divided, 
as you will see, into four districts. District 
of Montreal— of Three Rivers— of Quebec 
— of Gaspe. These you will perceive are 
general divisions. The land upon the riv- 
ers, is divided into Seigniories, which are 
occupied principally by the French Catho- 
lics. The remaining portions under im- 
provement, are divided into townships and 
inhabited generally by Protestants. 

Eliza. Are these Protestants French 
also? 

Father. No. They are English, Scotch, 
Irish and Americans. The eastern town- 
ships, of which I shall tell you more at 
another time, occupy that portion of the 
province which lies between the states of 
Vermont, New Hampshire, and the river 



10 CONVERSATIONS 

Chaudiere on the East, and the French set- 
tlements on the North. 

Charles. Then you was near Canada, 
Papa, when you wrote us from Burhngton, 
Vt. 

Father. Yes, and as I sent you my 
journal up to that thue, I shall say nothing 
of the places and scenes descrihed there, 
but commence with my entrance into Can- 
ada. I took a steam-boat from that place 
toward evening on a delightful day in June, 
and the next morning the town of St. Johns 
was in full view. You cannot imagine the 
variety of feeling, which agitated my mind 
at this sudden change. I laid me down to 
sleep the night before with a vivid impres- 
sion of the beauty of the scenery around 
me, and its similarity to the region of my 
nativity, I awoke a stranger in a strange 
land ; beautiful indeed, but new. Every 
thing around me said I had left my own 
for di foreign country. 

Mrs. M. I do not understand what 
could strike you as so strange before land- 
ing. 



ON CANADA. 11 

Father'. The houses are not in our style 
of building. The men that crowded the 
wharves were not only differently formed 
and different in stature from our country- 
men ; but they were differently dressed and 
spoke a different language. The flag that 
waved from the mast was not the star- 
spangled banner of America. The officers 
that patrolled the streets were clad in king- 
ly uniform. 

Mary. Is St. Johns inhabited by English 
or French ? 

Father. Generally French, though there 
are many English residents. You will re- 
collect Canada is under the English Gov- 
ernment ; so that the public officers are in 
British uniform. They obtained this coun- 
try by conquest from the French about 
1760. The British have a few troops 
stationed here, but the ancient fort is in 
ruins. The cemetery of the Garrison is 
still visible. The monuments are boards 
painted black; the inscriptions are painted 
on them in white letters. 



12 CONVERSATIONS 

Mrs. M. You wrote of spending the 
Sabbath there. In what manner was it ob- 
served by the inhabitants '\ 

Father. Their outward observance of 
it was very commendable, and perhaps 
equal to places of its size in the U. S. 

Eliza. Did you go from that place to 
Montreal by land or water 7 

Father. By land as far as La Prairie, 
a delightful village eighteen miles from St. 
Johns. 

Charles. You spoke of the buildings : 

in what respects do they differ from ours 7 

Father. The farm-houses and many in 

the villages are what are called block houses. 

They are but one story and built of logs. 

Catharine. Do they look any like the 
log houses Ave saw in the State of New 
York 7 

Father. Not at all. The logs are first 
hewn square, and then split in two, which 
makes them like plank, say from four to 
six inches in thickness. They are then 
fitted together, and if there are any cievi- 



ONCAI^ADA. 13 

ces they are filled with mortar and white- 
tv^ashed; within and without, roof and all, 
which gives them a very fine appearance. 
The windows generally in the French 
houses, are divided up and down in th6 
ftiiddle and swing on hinges like doors. 
They are Avell fitted for the chmate, being 
warm and comfortable. Many who are 
able have double windows. 

Henry. Those we saw had but one room 
in them. 

Father. Many of these have not, and if 
other rooms are needed, another building 
is aittached arid then another and another 
as they may wish. 

Mary. Do the people in Canada, gene- 
rally, appear like those Canadian French- 
men we saw on our tour of the Lakes ? 

Father. Far from it. Their mannei?is 
ate very courteous, and they are so polite 
and attentive to your wants that you feel 
at home with them immediately. Their 
treatment of you wherever you meet them, 
forms a; striking but pleasing contrast tc 
2 



14 CONVERSATIONS 

the selfish indifTerence that is manifested 
towards strangers in some places where 
you travel. 

Catharine. Do they dress any like those 
we saw 7 

Father. I helieve the dress of the peas- 
antry is the same every where. The men 
wear a sash around their waist and a long 
conical woollen cap on their heads, or fall- 
ing back upon their shoulders. 

Charles. Is the country level from St. 
Johns to La Prairie ? 

Father. Yes, but the land is poor a part 
of the way. 

Mrs. M. Are there regular stage-routes 

from St. Johns to Montreal 7 

Father. Yes ; but we went in a Cana- 
dian Calash. 

Mary. What is that, Papa ? 

Father, A carriage made something like 
an old fashioned chaise, very stout and gen- 
erally without a top. 

Catharine. How many can ride in them 7 

Father, Two grown persons beside a 



ON CANADA. 15 

driver. The horse is farther from the body 
of the carriage than in our vehicles, and 
thus leaves room for a driver's seat in front. 

Eliza. How far is Montreal from La 
Prairie 7 

Father. Only nine miles, on the other 
side of the river. 

Mrs. M. You surprise me. You can- 
not mean that the St. Lawrence river is 
nine miles wide % 

Father, It is crossed in this place in an 
oblique direction. Its average width is 
stated to be two miles. 

Charles. I have heard much of this 
river. Papa, will you describe it ? 

Father. I wish I could. It is certainly 
one of the most beautiful rivers I ever be- 
held, and the movement of its waters make 
it majestic. Conceive, if you can, of an 
immense body of deep placid water; its 
banks sometimes compressing it into half 
a mile even, and then expanding into lakes 
of some miles in breadth. Then reflect 
that it holds on the even tenor of its way, 



16 CONVERSATIONS 

except when broken by rocks and islands, 
for nearly seven hundred miles, receiving 
as it passes, the mighty waters of the Ot^ 
tawa and many smaller streams until it 
empties itself into one of the great thoroughr 
fares of nations,— the Atlantic Ocean. 

Hejiry. I did not know that the Ottawa 
was a very large river, Papa. 

Father. It would not suffer much in 
comparison with our own noble Missouri, 
either for length or size. 

Catharine. Is the St. Lawrence 700 

miles long? 

Father. This is its length from Lake 

Ontario ; but it is considered by the inha- 
bitants to be the same which appears in 
different places between the lakes of North 
America. It is indeed the same water, 
though called by different names, and con- 
sidered in this light, taking the entire range 
from Lake Superior, it would be more than 
2,000 miles long; and is perhaps in volume 
of water, greater than any other river i^. 
jNorth Americg,. 



ON CANADA. 17 

Eliza, How far is this river navigable? 

' Father. Montreal is considered at the 

head of navigation, though boats of various 

descriptions go through to the Lakes, by 

means of canals. 

Mary. Do large vessels navigate this 
river'? 

Father. I saw many of between two and 
three hundred tons burden, and was told 
that ships of six hundred tons could ascend 
the river. Vast numbers are employed in 
procuring lumber, which is taken down 
the water by rafts and secured in bays. 
It would have delighted me, Henry, to have 
shown you one of these rafts. Many of 
them contain timber to the value of several 
thousand dollars, and on them are erected 
with bark, wigwams or huts for the conve- 
nience of those who navigate the rafts. 

Henry. How many men does it need" to 
take care of them ? 

Father. Some of the large ones require 
from fifteen to twenty-five, and in spite of 
all their efforts the wind frequently sepa- 
2^ 



18 CONVERSATIONS 

rates the raft, and large amounts of prO" 
perty are destroyed in this way. 

Charles, Was the St. Lawrence River 
named for the man who discovered it, hke 
the Hudson 7 

Father. No. Jaques Cartier, who se- 
lected the site for Montreal, entered this 
river on St. Lawrence day, as it is called, 
and this is said to he the origin of the name. 

Mrs. M. Has this river a strong cur^ 
rent? 

Father. It is said to be generally about 
three miles an hour, though in some places 
probably double that force. 

Mary. Is there any thing particularly 
noticeable about its lakes 7 

Father. No. They are simply widen- 
in gs of the river, but are '' sprinkled with 
islands," which serve to give quite a vari- 
ety to the scenery. 

Catharine. How many islands are there 
in the river ? 

Father. It is said the whole number 
between Lake Ontario and the Gulf of St. 



ON CANADA. 19 

Lawrence, exceeds three hundred. I had 
heard much of the beauty of these Islands, 
but they cannot be conceived by one, who 
has not seen them. Some of the most im- 
portant of them I may attempt to describe 
hereafter. 

Mrs. M. Is the soil good on the river 1 
Father. Excellent. It was formerly 
said that " the farmers were afraid of rais- 
ing too much lest the price for produce 
should fall," and I was told that now many 
cannot dispose of their stable manure even 
as a gift, and that it is frequently carried 
to the river and left in heaps on the ice to 
float away when it breaks up in the Spring. 
If this is a fact, it is probably owing more 
to a want of knowledge of its value than a 
fear of increasing the productiveness of the 
land. Without this the farms are in a good 
state of improvement, and with their white- 
washed cottages and tin-roofed churches 
and spires J arrest the traveler's attention, 
though there is but little variety in the 
views. 



20 CONVERSATIONS 

Charles. Are the villages much higher 
than the river or nearly on a level 7 

Father. I had forgotten to mention a 
peculiarity of this river. The banks are 
almost level with the water, so that when 
you sail along you seem almost to be walk- 
ing their streets, and sometimes I could 
scarcely convince myself that the water 
was not higher than the banks. Indeed I 
can express it no better than to say ; " it is 
a deep uneven channel filled to overflow- 
ing." 

Mary. Does it overflow its banks, Papa? 

Father. Not to any extent. 

Catharine. Are there settlements all the 
way upon the banks of the St. Lawrence ? 

Father. As far as I went, and I am told 
quite as many for about a hundred miles 
below Quebec. 

Eliza. What is the appearance of these 
settlements, compact or scattered 7 

Father. There are numerous villages 
built for the most part around a handsome 
stone church ; ' ' while single houses and 



ON CANADA. 21 

farms at agreeable distances appear to keep 
up a regular trajn of communication." 

Eliza. Are the houses built of logs as 
you have described ? , 

Father. Most of the cottages are, and 
■ ' covered with a white-wash composed of 
salt and lime, which gives them quite a 
brilliant appearance.'" The residence of the 
Seigneurs and other country gentlemen are 
built of stone, large and handsome and the 
yoofs covered with tin. The churches, 
which you will pass as ofteri as once in six 
or eight miles have from one spire to three, 
which with the roofs are also coveried with tin, 

Mi^s. M. Will you explain what you 
mean by Seigniories, for I do not perfectly 
understand theni. 

Father. They are portions of land skirts- 
ing all the great rivers in the Province, 
which were given by the French to those, 
who were relatives or favorites of the Gov- 
ernment, or to those, who had performed 
some service for their country. They vary 
jn size according to the value of the land, 



22 CONVERSATIONS 

or as the nature of the services required. 
This land is divided by the Seigneur, i.e. 
the one who posesses it, into small lots or 
farms and rented by him to tenants at a 
very low price. 

Mary. Can he sell the land 7 

Father. Not as we sell land ; for if it 
passes from the hand of the owner except 
by heredetary descent, he must pay to the 
government one fifth or one eighth of the 
purchase money. 

Eliza. What then are the advantages 
of a Seigneur ? 

Father. ' They are many, and the Sig- 
neurs are generally wealthy. The tenants 
in the first place pay but a trifling sum for 
the rent of a farm, say from 2s. 6d. to 5s. 
To this rent is added a pair of fowls, a 
goose, a duck, a bushel of grain, or some- 
thing of the kind, and when you recollect 
that some of them have hundreds of ten- 
ants, you will readily perceive that this 
alone is something of an income. Besides 
the tenants must make the roads and have 



ON CANADA. 23 

their grinding done at the mill of the Sig- 
neur, who takes 1-16 of the whole. The 
old French laws constituted the Signeurs a 
court of judges of all crimes committed by 
their tenants except murder and treason. 

Mrs. M. But do they retain their laws 
and property as before they were conquer- 
ed? 

Father. The criminal code of Great Bri- 
tain was introduced, otherwise their laws 
remained the same except occasional modi- 
fications as in our government. 

Catharine. Has Canada a governor like 
the States ? 

Father. Yes, but appointed by the King 
of England. 

Charles. How are the laws formed ? 

Father. The two houses of Parliament 
propose laws for the approval or disappro- 
val of the King. 

Mis. M. How are the expenses of the 
government paid % 

Father. There is a revenue created by 
duties upon some articles of produce, &c. 



24 CONVERSATIONS 

which has enabled the provinces for some 
years nearly to support themselves, though 
they have ever been a bill of expense to 
Great Britain. 

Eliza. I should think they were ungrate- 
ful to rebel against the government when 
SO' much has been done for them. 

Father. They do not complain that many 
of the acts of gover7inient are oppressive ; 
it js the spirit manifested towards them as 
a conquered people that produces uneasi- 
ness. Besides, they are not appointed to 
offices of state, and have not the same op- 
portunity for promotion as the English in- 
habitants, consequently their laws are made 
for them without their cooperation or con- 
sent. 

Mi's. M. But are none of the branches of 
government elective ? 

Father. But one, and that is the house 
of Assembly. 

Charles. I do not see, then, why they 
were to blame in the late rebellion. 

Father. The manner in which they 



ON CANADA. 25 

sought redress, my son, should be condemn- 
ed by all. They should have continued to 
petition the mother country ; not taken up 
arms against her. 

Mary. What is the religion of these 
Seigniories ? 

Father. Roman Catholic ; and as you 
pass these villages you will frequently see 
a cross in some conspicuous place, some- 
times made of stone, but more commonly 
*' of wood surmounted with a crown of 
thorns." 

Eliza. How is their religion supported ? 

Father. By the income of land, the rent 
of which is devoted to advancing the Cath- 
olic religion; by the payment of one 26th 
part of all the land produces to the Curates, 
and by direct taxation for the building of 
churches, parsonages and other religious 
purposes. 

Mrs. M. I should like to understand how 
the Catholic Priests get and retain such an 
ascendency over the minds of their adhe- 



26 CONVERSATIONS 

rents as to enable them to exact money, &c. 
whenever they please. 

Father. It is all done by management, 
and taking advantage of their superstition. 
The Catholics in Canada are under the im- 
mediate direction of a Bishop, who passes 
through the country once in seven years 
with great pomp and display : multitudes 
go before him, cut down branches of the 
trees and spread them in the way. " As he 
passes their streets with his Coadjuter Bi- 
shop and nine vicars general on the right 
hand and on the left, with four behind him 
to hold from the ground the trail of his 
gaudy mantle embroidered within and 
without with fine wrought gold, the bewil- 
dered inhabitants fall upon their knees and 
worship." These together with their 300 
Curates and Missionaries; their Colleges, 
Seminaries and Convents, form the appa- 
ratus by which they accomplish their de- 
signs. 

Charles. Is this the only religion of 
Canada ? 



ON CANADA. 27 

Father. No. The Protestant religion 
under different denominations, prevails to 
some extent ; though nearly four fifths of 
the lower province are Catholics. 

Mary. Are the Protestants supplied 
with preaching 1 

Father. The Church of England, which 
is here established by law, have a few cler- 
gymen sustained with high salaries, paid 
in part by the government and part by a 
society in England, to propagate the gospel 
in foreign parts. 

Mrs. M. You said there were various 
denominations ; do those who do not belong 
to the Established Church enjoy the means 
of grace? 

Father. To a>ery limited extent. The 
Wesleyans once attempted to occupy the 
ground, but in most cases, have withdrawn 
their ministers. Some of the churches in 
the United States, in connexion with the 
Canada Missionary Society, have recently 
made some efforts to supply the Eastern 
Townships with the ordinances of the gos- 
pel. 



28 CONVERSATIONS 

Eliza. By whom is the Canada Mission- 
ary Society sustained ? 

Father. By the benevolent in all places, 
but especially by the Presbyterians and 
Congregationalists in Montreal. The ladies 
in Montreal have made very laudable ex- 
ertions in this cause ; perhaps they have 
not been surpassed by any in the States. 

Mary. Is this the same society which has 
recently become auxiliary to the American 
Home Missionary Society 7 

Father. Yes. And this has made the 
prospects of Canada, in a moral point of 
view, much more flattering than they have 
heretofore been. They now come into the 
sphere of our missionary operations. 

Catharine. How many Protestants 
should you suppose there were in these 
Townships ? 

Father. More than 50,000. 

Henry. Why, Papa. I did not suppose 
there were so many people in all Canada. 

Father. When the last census was ta- 
ken there were between 5 and 600,000 in 
Lower Canada alone. 



ON CANADA. 29 

Mrs. M. Did you intend to have us un- 
derstand that these 50,000 Protestants have 
all been, until now, destitute of religious 
privileges % 

Father. Many of them have been entirely 
destitute. They have never even seen a 
preacher of the gospel in public or in their 
own habitations. I made it a prominent 
object in my tour, to learn the moral con- 
dition of these Townships. I told you they 
were mostly settled from the United States. 
Many of these carried with them, from the 
respective churches to which they belonged, 
letters of recommendation, which they have 
never had an opportunity of presenting. I 
met an aged man of this description, whose 
letter was dated twenty-seven years before. 
By means of the recent missionary opera- 
tions he is now enjoying the privileges of a 
christian church. 

Eliza. When preaching is sent to them 
do they listen attentively ? 

Father. All that have been engaged as 

preachers have found that though negligent 
3# 



30 CONVERSATIONS 

at first and inattentive, they have succeed- 
ed in awakening an abiding interest ; and 
many churches have been formed and are 
now in a prosperous state. One of the min- 
isterial associations in Massachusetts has 
furnished from their own number, a preach- 
er for these townships for three or four 
summers in succession. One of these mis- 
sionaries, in his report, states that, aUhough 
at first he had but very few hearers, their 
number increased until he had what would 
be called a respectable congregation in any 
place of its size. One of his hearers came 
regularly from a distance of twelve miles, 
another twenty, and on a communion sea- 
son a man and his wife came thirty miles 
and brought a babe to be baptized. He also 
spoke of a young man. who traveled more 
than fifty miles to unite with his church. 
He was invited to address a maternal asso- 
ciation, which had been formed in one of 
the places where he labored, and although 
the weather was excessively hot, twenty- 
five mothers were present. Some walked 



ON CANADA. 31 

more than four miles, and ten more than 
two miles. 

Mary. Have they Temperance Societies 
in Canada ? 

Father. To some extent. The missionary- 
above mentioned found a flourishing tem- 
perance society, which originated through 
the influence of a Temperance Almanac, 
and some who were confirmed in habits of 
intemperance have been reclaimed by it. 

Catharine, How much good that person 
has done who bought that almanac, or sent 
it there. 

Father. No more than is in the power of 
every little child to do, who refrains from 
expending its sixpence for self-indulgence, 
and casts it into some benevolent treasury. 

Charles. Are Sabbath Schools extensive- 
ly established ? 

Father. They have been established and 
stopped for want of men to conduct and feel 
an interest in sustaining them. It is difii- 
cult for those of us, who are hedged in by 
religious institutions, to form any adequate 



32 CONVERSATIONS 

idea of the situation of those, on whom no 
such influence is exerted from any quarier. 
No Bibles, no tracts ; bu tchildren growing 
lip without the knowledge of God ; and this 
not only in one place, but with few excep- 
tions throughout the whole Townships ; 
containing a population of many thousand 

souls. 

Mrs, M. Have they not had some 

itinerating preachers to counteract this 

influence 7 

Father, Some; but Canada has been the 
resort of many^ who were not regularly au- 
thorized to preach, and who, I am sorry to 
say, have created prejudices against religion 
rather than extended its mild influences. 
Where judicious and faithful preachers 
have labored, they have universally raised 
the desires and hopes of the people for a 
permanent ministry ; but their expectations 
have been so often cut off* that they are dis- 
couraged ; for you know " hope deferred 
maketh the heart sick." 

Eliza, I should think they could support 



ON CANADA. 33 

the gospel without the assistance of mis- 
sionary societies 1 

Father. They could, undoubtedly, if there 
was miion of religious sentiment and moral 
feeling ; but there are many obstacles to be 
removed before they can support the gos- 
pel themselves. There is scarcely a Town- 
ship in Lower Canada, which is not abun- 
dantly able to furnish support for a minis- 
ter; but as the institutions of the Estabhsh- 
ed Church are free, and the labors of the 
Wesleyans were not chargeable to them, 
they have been in the habit of hearing 
preaching gratuitously and have not asso- 
ciated in their minds religious privileges 
and expense. Besides there is a stagnation; 
a want of enterprise, which always accom- 
panies religious destitution however desir- 
able the location or rich the soil ; where 
the restraints of the Gospel are taken off, no 
community can be called prosperous. 

Henry. Are the people in Canada'gene- 
rally poor? 

Father, Not generally ; but as I have 



34 CONVERSATIONS 

said, the lands in Canada are all tax free 
and this has induced many to go in there 
to repair wasted fortunes or to gain a live- 
lihood when they had been disappointed in 
the means of support. Some have succeed- 
ed ; but it is really melancholy to see those, 
who once moved in a high circle and en- 
joyed the privileges of a land particularly 
blessed of God, destitute not only of all the 
ordinances of the gospel, but also the com- 
forts of life. I called on one family of this 
description, which excited my sympathy 
very much. The lady was originally from 
England ; an intelligent, interesting woman 
and blessed with a superior education. 
Their habitation was humble; the outer 
door so low that I could not enter it with- 
out stooping. She sat in the only room the 
dwelling contained, with an infant in her 
arms, on a kind of rocking chair framed by 
an affectionate husband. The other furni- 
ture consisted of a couch or bed, a three 
legged stool, a rough box for a seat contain- 
ing potatoes, and an old barrel partly filled 



ON CANADA. 35 

with oat meal. There was a large Dutch 
chimney around which the cooking utensils 
were arranged, and a window consisting of 
four panes of glass. 

Mary. Did she appear contented and 
happy 7 

Father. Yes, and full of faith and love to 
God. I visited her frequently, and once as 
I alluded to her humble habitation, she re- 
marked ; ''it is a fine place from which to 
look out to a habitation above." 

Catharine. Was she a member of a 
church ? 

Father. Yes. And when her child was 
six weeks old she walked five miles that 
she might secure for it the rite of baptism. 

Henry. O mama, will you not let us 
form a society for the support of a mission- 
ary in Canada ? 

Mrs. M. Most willingly would I assist 
you in such an undertaking ; and you may, 
if you please, devote what you have already 
earned this year for that purpose. 

Charles. How many missionaries are 
now laboring there ] 



36 CONVERSATIONS 

Father. There are eleven named in the 
last " Report of the Canada Home Mission- 
ary and Education Society." Beside these, 
there are some settled pastors supported by 
the people among whom they labor. 

Eliza, I suppose Montreal supports its 
own ministry 7 

Father. O yes^ and much more. Indeed 
it is the centre of all moral and religious 
influence in the province. It has an effi- 
cient Bible Society, which has resolved to 
supply every family in the province with a 
copy of the Holy Scriptures, and has alrea- 
dy accomplished much of this good work. 
It is also feelingly alive to the subject of 
Temperance, and in the city alone, within 
a few months, one thousand have pledged 
themselves to total abstinence from all in- 
toxicating drinks. 

Mrs. M. What is the situation of com- 
mon schools in Canada? 

Father. There is but Httle interest felt 
in them; but they have a school fund, 
which enables them to support a competent 
number of teachers. 



ON CANADA. 37 

Mary. How was this fund obtained ? 

Father. When the French gave up their 
country to the EngUsh, it was stipulated in 
the treaty, that the French should retain 
their Seigniories, their laws and their reli- 
gion, but they were to give up the order of 
Jesuits with the death of those who were 
then living among them. The property of 
this order, which was large, then reverted 
to the crown and v/as constituted a school 
fund for the benefit of the provinces. Spe- 
cial efforts have recently been made, in con- 
nexion with missionary exertions, to sup- 
ply the country with efficient and pious 
teachers, and more than one thousand chil- 
dren have, the last year, been for the first 
time under such instruction. 



CANADA. 



PART II. 



" If any one should call for me," said 
Mr. M. to his wife, rising from the tea-table 
and taking his hat and cloak, " tell them 
I'm engaged in business with Mr. B." 

" O papa, papa," was heard simultane- 
ously from the younger part of the family 
circle, " you promised us a description of 
the remainder of your tour to Canada, the 
first time we recited our lessons perfectly, 
and not one of us have failed to-day." 

The father hesitated, but as his business 
required his presence at that hour, he step- 



40 CONVERSATIONS 

peel to the library, and taking Silliman's 
tour from Hartford to Quebec, requested his 
wife to read to them some of his interesting 
sketches, promising to return in a short 
time. The hour passed rapidly away, and 
he found them on his return all ea^ofer lis- 

o 

teners. 

" I have read these descriptions with a 
new interest," said Mrs. M. "I had for- 
gotten that so much beauty and importance 
was attached to Montreal." 

Father. The view of the city, as you ap- 
proach it, is indeed singularly beautiful. It 
stretches nearly two miles along the river ; 
is more than half a mile in breadth, and is 
said to cover more than 1000 acres. A high 
mountain rises directly behind it, and its 
dark green verdure forms a pleasing con- 
trast with the '• silver-roofed" buildings. 

Henry. But, papa. Cousin S. said it was 
a gloomy place ; that the streets were very 
narrow and the houses old fashioned. 

Father. To a youth from Philadelphia, 
it might -appear so, for it is entirely unlike 



ON CANADA. 41 

an American city. The houses are built 
of grey-lime-stone, some of them without 
hewing at all and coarsely daubed with 
mortar. Many of them and the shops have 
iron doors and iron frames to fortify their 
window shutters. Every thing looks for- 
eign about it. The barracks, that are oc- 
cupied by the soldiers at the lower end of 
the city, are built in the French style, and 
the streets, except the new ones, are much 
narrower than ours. 

Mrs. M. But I have heard that Montreal 
contained some elegant buildings. 

Father. I did not intend you should un- 
derstand that all were erected in this way. 
There are many both public and private 
buildings of hewn stone that would adorn 
any city. 

Eliza. Is Montreal regularly laid out 7 

Father. Yes. The principal streets run 
parallel with the banks of the river, and 
others of importance cross them at right 
angles. The whole extent of what is em- 
braced within the limits of the city, is not 
4^ 



42 CONVERSATIONS 

covered with buildings so closely as is gen- 
erally the case in large towns. But it is 
the scenery connected with and around 
Montreal that constitutes its chief beauty. 

Catharine. I did not know until this 
evening, that Montreal is on an island. Is 
it a large one ? 

Father. It is of a triangular form thirty- 
two miles in length, and ten and a half 
across the widest part. 

Mary. Is the city on one of the extreme 
points of the island ? 

Father. No. It is about half way be- 
tween them, exactly at the head of ship 
navigation. 

Mr&. M' But I have heard regrets ex- 
pressed that the city was not built a little 
below its present site, on account of afford- 
ing a better opportunity for navigation. 

Father. This is only on account of the 
rapid of St. Mary near one of the suburbs 
of the city ; but this inconvenience is reme- 
died by the La' chine canal, an improvement 
of great value. 



ON CANADA. 43 

Charles. Father, you said many of their 
public buildings are stone ; will you please 
mention some of them. 

Father. The building called the Paro- 
chial church is pronounced " the most mag- 
nificent pile of sacred architecture in Ame- 
rica." The front presents a piazza with 
three lofty entrances supported by columns, 
bounded on each side by large square tow- 
ers. It has two tiers of spacious galleries 
and will receive within its walls when 
croioded^ 15,000 people, about half the pop- 
ulation of the city. A gentleman belonging 
to Canada said to me that he went into it 
when the walls were building and saw the 
materials carried up to the workmen by 
means of a spiral pathway. This will give 
you some idea of its size, for the enclosure 
must be large that would admit of such a 
path for a team. 

Eliza. Is this a Catholic church ? 

Father. Yes, and it is open for the poor 
deluded worshipers every day from morn- 
ing till night. On going in you will see 



44 CONVERSATIONS 

some kneeling, some crossing themselves, 
some sitting in the pews or on benches 
around the walls counting their beads, &c. 

Henry. Should we see any priests there 7 

Father. Yes ; but they would be in little 
closets or boxes, where they go in to hear 
confessions. 

Catharine. Are there pictures and ima- 
ges in this church '? 

Father. Yes, many. The image of Christ 
is opposite the door where you enter. When 
I was in, I saw some kneeling before that 
and other pictures and images ; sometimes 
on one knee, sometimes on both. Like all 
Catholic churches, it has a dish near the 
door containing Holy water ; so that those 
who enter may dip their fingers and cross 
themselves. Sometimes this is done on the 
breast, sometimes on the forehead. 

Henry. What makes the water holy ? 

Father. I am ufiable to answer you. I 
made many inquiries about this foolish su- 
perstition and heard various reasons assign- 
ed for it. Some believe that it is collected 



ON CANADA 



45 



on a day in the year, which they consider 
as the anniversary of the commencement of 
Noah's flood ; I suppose whether it rains or 
not. Others suppose that its hoUness is 
the result of a miracle performed upon it 
by the priest. ' 

Mary. How is it possible, papa, that 
people can be made to believe such non- 
sense 7 

Father. An unenlightened Catholic, my 
child, believes implicitly whatever is told 
him by a priest, and many of them believe 
that the power of the priest is superior to 
that of any other being. I engaged one of 
this description to take me a short journey, 
and he amused me most of the way by re- 
lating miracles performed by the priests in 
days gone by. 

Charles. Will you not repeat some of 
them ? 

Father. I can recollect but two or three. 
He told me there was at one time a fire in 
one of the villages that threatened to destroy 
it. The terrified inhabitants, after using 



46 CONVERSATIONS 

every means to subdue it, sent for the priests 
to come to their assistance. They went, 
and making a mark in the earth between 
the church and the flames, they ceased 
raging nor dared go over their prescribed 
bounds. At another time a section of the 
country was greatly infested with grass- 
hoppers. Fearing they would devour every 
living thing, the inhabitants collected the 
priests, who prayed them out of their coasts. 
On another occasion there was a long con- 
tinued rain, which caused a river to rise so 
rapidly that great fears were entertained 
lest the surrounding country should be in- 
undated. The priests were sent for to stop 
the rain. They commenced praying, and 
he told me, although the rain ceased not. 
yet a much greater miracle was performed ; 
for the channel not being able to contain 
the body of water, it rose up full two feet 
from its banks and thus moved off in one 
solid column. If the poor Catholics can be 
made to believe such absurdities as these, 
you will not wonder that they regard as 



ONCANADA. 47 

sacred what their priests tell them is ho- 

ly- 

Mary. There are other Catholic churches 
I suppose in Montreal 7 

Father. Yes. There is the Catholic Ca- 
thedral, three Catholic churches and a cha- 
pel connected with each of the three nun- 
neries. 

Eliza. But is not that large church a 
Cathedral 7 

Father. It is not called so. I understand 
a Cathedral to be a church where the 
Bishop statedly officiates. 

Catharine. Are there no Protestant 
churches there 7 

Father. Yes, several, and the steeple to 
the Protestant Episcopal church is a very 
*' tasteful and prominent ornament of the 
city." 

Mrs» M. Has not Montreal increased 
quite rapidly in importance within a few 
years 7 

Father. Yes. It has increased the num- 
ber of its inhabitants nearly one third, since 



48 CONVERSATIONS 

1825, and its increase of commerce, agri- 
culture and manufactures are in proportion. 
It is no doubt destined to become one of the 
greatest channels for trade in North Ameri- 
ca. 

Charles. Why is it better than Boston, 
papa ? it is not so large. 

Father. Its size does not constitute its 
importance, my son, but its situation. It 
is a point where all the vast surrounding 
countries connect themselves with the 
ocean. Boston and other ports of the kind, 
are connected with the surrounding coun- 
tries only by means of railways and canals, 
but here nearly six hundred miles in the 
interior, Montreal, by means of the St. Law- 
rence and other rivers, derives all the bene- 
fit of a direct ship communication with the 
other parts of the world. 

Mary. Were its advantages in this re- 
spect known at the time of its settlement ? 

Father. Yes. The location was selected 
by Jaques Cartier, who sailed up the St. 
Lawrence to that point. It is said to de- 



ON CANADA. 49 

rive its name from the beautiful mountain, 
which raises its head several hundred feet 
in tlie rear of the city ; the word originally 
signifying the Royal Mountain. 

Catharine. Is Quebec as romantic as 
Montreal '? 

Father. It is entirely different. Every 
view of Quebec is bold and magnificent and 
excites sublime emotions, while some of the 
views of Montreal are delicately beautiful. 
Quebec is a fortress and seems designed by 
nature for this purpose. 

Charles. Was it intended for the Capital 
when it was first settled 1 

Father. Yes. It was selected as the 
place best fitted to administer the govern- 
ment of the colony, by the French king's 
geographer in 1608. It was then an Indian 
village upon the promontory now named 
Cape Diamond. Quebec is divided into the 
upper and lower city ; the latter is built on 
the water's edge, the former on the fortress 
more than 340 feet above it. 



50 CONVERSATIONS 

Eliza. Is this rise only where the city- 
is built, or does it extend farther ? 

Father. I remarked to you that the banks 
of the St. Lawrence were low. They begin 
to rise from Cape Roque, a few miles above 
Quebec, and after various hills and preci- 
pices attain the height of Cape Diamond. 
On the North bank of the river the plains 
of Abraham stretch themselves. Here you 
will recollect General Wolfe was slain, and 
the towers that stand for the defence of these 
plains are the first that meet the eye of the 
traveler as he descends the river from Mon- 
treal. 

Henry. How many are there of these 
towers 7 

Father Four, called Martello Towers. 
They are round and built of stone. 

Charles. Are they high and strong 7 

Father. About forty feet high and very 
strong, except the side opposite the town. 
This side is made so that if an enemy 
should ever gain them, they could be de- 
stroyed by the cannon from the city. 



ON CANADA. 51 

Mary. Are the cannon, which fortify 
the city, higher than those on the plains of 
Abraham ? 

Father. Yes, but in order that you should 
understand them, I will tell you a little 
more of the situation of the place. The 
upper town is entirely surrounded by an 
almost impenetrable stone wall. It is about 
three miles in circuit and has ponderous 
arches and strong massy gateways and 
gales. This wall is all that separates the 
city from the plains of Abraham on the 
jSouth, these being only a continuance of 
the mountainous bank. The front of the 
town is circular and more than half the dis- 
tance round is supported by a naked black 
Tocky precipice. The wall I mentioned 
surmounts these rocks also, and the highest 
points are crowned with towers. Here is 
a view of Quebec as you approach it from 
the South West, with the plains of Abraham 
and the towers ; but the best idea of the 
city can be gained from the frontispiece. 
For both of these plates we are indebted to 
Silliman. 



52 



CONVERSATIONS 




ON CANADA. 53 

Catharine. How thick are these walls 7 
Father. They vary in thickness accord- 
ing to the height of the bank, and means of 
ascending it. On that part towards the 
plains of Abraham, which is the only side 
ihat an enemy could enter the city, the 
^walls are fifty feet thick, and nearly the 
same in height. A deep ditch is dug di- 
rectly beneath it, then another wall is rais- 
ed and another ditch. The cannon on the 
highest wall are so situated as to make 
dreadful havoc among any, who should at- 
tempt to scale the outside wall or cross the 



Eliza. Did you see the castle of St. 
Louis ? 

Father. Yes ; it stands on the very edge 
of the precipice I have described to you. It 
is the residence of the governor of the pro- 
vince. It was formerly a French fortress 
and covered four acres of ground. Since 
that time it has undergone many changes. 
The present castle is a plain yellow struc- 
ture of stone, and is the front of a large 
5^ 



54 CONVERSATIONS 

square, in which are contained public of- 
fices and rooms for pubhc amusements ; 
also a guard-house, stable and extensive 
gardens. The front of the building, which 
almost overlooks the lower town, is more 
than 160 feet long, arid a gallery runs its 
whole length. This gallery is supported 
by lofty pillars, which are built up and rest 
upon the rock below. The foundation of 
these pillars are about 200 feet above the 
lower town, and you can stand in the gal- 
lery and see all the movements of the little 
world directly beneath you. Indeed you 
feel absolutely unsafe and giddy to look 
perpendicularly down upon the confusion 
and jargon of the lower city. It has been 
remarked that not only from this situation, 
but from the walls of the upper town, a 
stone could be dropped into the chimnies 
below ; and in most cases before reaching 
the object, it would fall two or three hun- 
dred feet. 

Mrs, M. How is the lower city forti- 
fied 7 



ONCANADA. 55 

Father. Principally by the fortifications 
above, 

Charles. I do not understand exactly 
how this city can be under the other. Was 
it built before or after that ? 

Father. When the upper city was set- 
tled, there was nothing but a landing where 
the lower city now stands. The St. Law- 
rence then washed the foot of the precipices, 
and ships were confined by rings being 
driven with staples into the rocks. For 
some cause the water is not so high as then, 
and buildings are crowded in the most com- 
pact manner possible on this narrow strip 
between the precipices and the St. Law- 
rence to the distance of nearly two miles. 
It is merely a business place and the streets 
are dirty and narrow. The rocks jut over 
some of the buildings and look as though 
they would fall and crush them ; but no 
part of the houses of the upper town are 
visible below. 

Henry. How do they get into the upper 
town 7 



66 CONVERSATIONS 

Father. By steep and intricate averrnesy 
and at every turn cannon are pointing' to 
guard them. 

Charles. Can they go up otherwise thais 
on foot ? 

Father. The Canadian horses go up^ 
but I had much rather trust myself on my 
feet than endure the fear of being thrust 
backwards from these heights. 

Mary. What is the appearance of the 
'city as you enter it 7 

Father. You at first find yourself in 
narrow streets with high stone buildings on 
each side, which give it a very gloomy ap- 
pearance ; but you soon come in sight of £u 
delightful promenade, public buildings and. 
the soldier's barracks, which afford quite a. 
pleasing variety. There is not much loithin. 
the city to admire ; but the distant views 
presented to the eye, particularly from Cape 
Diamond, where the Fort is built, surpass: 
for grandeur, beauty and diversity any I 
have ever witnessed. Indeed it is said by 
those, who have visited foreign countries, 



ON CANADA. 57 

that they are not exceeded by any on the 
globe. In the variegated expanse laid out 
before yoii, stupendous rocks, immense 
rivers, trackless forests, cultivated plains, 
mountains, lakes, towns and villages alter- 
nately strike the attention. If you add to 
these scenes the fact, that beneath you is 
rolling through the channel of the St. Law- 
rence the immense bodies of fresh water, 
which are the ornament of our country and 
the admiration of the world, descending 
like another sea to swell the bosom of the 
Atlantic, the scene is overpowering and 
tremendous. 

Mrs. M. Are die falls of Montmorenci 
seen from this point '? 

Father. In favorable weather they are 
distinctly seen in all their beauty, leaping 
down a precipice of more than 200 feet. 

Eliza. Father, you said these views 
are from Cape Diamond where the fort is 
built ; is the fort within the city ? 

Father. It is within the city walls ; but 
so situated that it could defend itself and 



58 CONVERSATIONS 

destroy the whole city in case of any mu- 
tiny there. It is even said, though I can- 
not vouch for the truth of it, that there is a 
train of preparations by which the city 
could be instantaneously blown up, if there 
was danger of its falling into the hands of 
an enemy. 

Catharine. You said that the wall was 
all that separated the city from the plains 
of Abraham ; can you go easily from one 
place to the other ? 

Father. Yes, you have only to pass 
through a gate, when you will find your- 
self on the ground which drank the heart' s- 
blood of the noble Wolfe and others. 

Mrs. M. What peculiar feelings are ex- 
cited on viewing a battle ground. As we 
passed Chippewa, when I visited Niagara 
Falls, imagination peopled it with the con- 
tending armies, and I almost fancied I 
heard the groans of the dying. 

Father. How then would you have felt, 
had you been with me when I visited this 
interesting spot. It was on a day when 



ON CANADA. 59 

the Queen's troops were reviewed out upon 
these plains hy the Commander in Chief. 
Of course there was warlike music ; the 
troops were arranged as for fighting, and 
the movements of different portions of them 
were in imitation of a battle. Imagination 
could easily supply all that was necessary 
in order to see before me the spirits of the 
heroes and veterans of former days urging 
on to death or victory. In the midst of it, 
to perfect the delusion, the muffled drum 
was heard as if in mourning for the dead 
and dying. For a moment I forgot where 
I was or when I lived ; and was only arous- 
ed from the reverie by the sight of a com- 
pany of Highlanders, who were following 
a fellow soldier to the silent grave ; and 
from whom I found proceeded the sound of 
the muffled drum. 

Charles. I never knew until mama told 
us that the victory of General Wolfe pre- 
pared the way for the independence of A- 
merica. She explained it to us Indepen- 
dence day, and told us she thought you 



60 CONVERSATIONS 

might be on the spot where he fell at that 
time. 

Mary. Did you spend Independence 
there ? 

Father. No. I was at , on July 4, 

but it passed in such a manner as plainly 
to tell me I was in another country than my 
own. They have no sympathy at all with 
the states in commemorating the events, 
which were followed with such benefits to 
America and the world. 

Eliza. What days do they celebrate 7 

Father. July 17 is a holiday with the 
Irish and is kept in celebration of Noah's 
flood. 

Henry. Do they keep it as we do Inde- 
pendence ? 

Father. As some do ; by drinking and 
fighting. July 12 is also a day much anti- 
cipated by a part of the Canadians. It is 
the anniversary of the celebrated battle of 
the Boyne. William III. king of England 
passed this river on that day, and by a vic- 
torious battle gained the freedom of Ireland. 



ON CANADA.- 61 

There has often been blood shed on that 
day, particularly in the old country. As 
William was Prince of Orange, the Protes- 
tants wear badges of orange color, and carry 
their charters and their flags containing the 
laws of Parliament ; much to the annoy- 
ance of the Catholics. 

Mrs. M. What other towns worthy of 
notice, did you visit between Quebec and 
Montreal '? 

Father. The town of Sorel or Wm. Hen- 
ry is a place of importance. It is situated 
at the mouth of the river bearing the same 
name ; built of wood, regularly laid out and 
comprises 120 acres. It contains many 
squares, however, which add much to its 
beauty, and the shores being bold give it an 
inviting appearance. It is important as the 
point of communication between Lake 
Champlain and the St. Lawrence, and is 
the summer residence of the Governor of 
the province. It is also of great importance 
to those who shall engage in evangelizing 
Canada. 

6 



62 CONVERSATIONS 

Charles. Has it a large population 7 

Father. No. I was told at some sea- 
sons of the year it numbered more than 
2000 ; but its importance arises from its 
being in the heart oi the Catholic country,, 
and accessible from every direction. Be- 
sides the way is prepared for a religious 
influence there. Many of its inhabitants 
may be considered as favorable to pure re- 
ligion, and they have a flourishing Sabbath 
school. 

Mary. Would this place rank in impor- 
tance next to Quebec and Montreal ? 

Father. No. The town of Three Rivers^ 
half way between these two points, is the 
third in imp n-tance in the province. The 
tide in the St. Lawrence sets up to this 
place. It derives its name from the St. 
Maurice River, which empties here into the 
St. Lawrence, and is divided at its mouth 
into three parts by little islands ; sO that 
there seems to be three rivers instead of 
one. 

Eliza. Is this valuable as a port ? 



ON CANADA. 63 

Father. There is no harbor, though 
vessels lie there, and steam-boats stop for 
fuel. Near the place are extensive iron 
works where stoves are made. As the 
houses in the provinces are warmed alto- 
gether by stoves, such a foundry of itself 
would give importance to a place, and I 
was told that from four to five hundred 
men have been at times employed in this 
foundry. As there is no sand in the pro- 
vinces suitable to run them in, it is import- 
ed in large qitantities. 

Viewed either in a political or commer- 
cial light the four places I have described 
are the most important in the province ; 
but the religious man in looking at Canada 
will place his eye on Stan stead, situated on 
the line between the United States and 
Canada; Shipton and Melbourne on the 
St. Francis river between Stan stead and 
Quebec ; and Granby and Shefford between 
Stanstead and Montreal. 

Mrs. M. I have frequently heard these 
places named, but have never understood 
what constituted their importance. 



64 CONVERSATIONS 

Father. There are churches established 
there ; they have longer enjoyed the insti- 
tutions of reUgion and they are sustained 
by able ministers, who will sympathise 
with the surrounding country and lend 
their influence to extend the pure principles 
of the gospel. 

Mary. Did not Mr. Parker, of whom 
we have heard so much, preach in that part 
of the province 7 

Father, Yes, and he is still there labor- 
ing with unabated zeal ; though great fears 
are entertained that his feeble health will 
oblige him to suspend his labors. Mr. Par- 
ker's praise is deservedly in all the churches. 
The trials and difilculties, with which his 
way has been hedged up, would have dis- 
couraged any but a heart that trusted in 
the promises of God. But he has struggled 
through them all, comparatively alone ; 
and now has the happiness of seeing " the 
grain of mustard seed springing up and 
branching abroad" in the land of his efforts. 
He has been instrumental in forming seve- 



ON CANADA. 65 

ral churches in that vicinity, and their last 
" Report" contains many thrilHng accounts 
of the success of the gospel among them. 
One of the missionaries writes ; '' Several 
of my hearers come on foot from four to five 
miles; and one frequently, I had almost 
said statedly, walks ten miles. When I 
came here there had been no stated preach- 
ing in one of the settlements where I labor 
for eight or ten years, and there was per- 
haps but one house in the settlement in 
which family worship was attended ; now 
it numbers more than twenty church mem- 
bers, and many family altars." Another 
when speaking of a communion season 
says ; '^ One female member of the church, 
who for two or three years had not enjoyed 
such a privilege, walked nine miles, most 
of the way through the woods, to give evi- 
dence she had not forgotten the command 
of the Savior, ' Do this in remembrance of 
me.' Such instances have become so com- 
mon they have ceased to affect me as they 
once did. I seldom now make the inquiry 
6=^ 



66 CONVERSATIONS 

or record the fact/' But the evening is far 
spent and we must dismiss the subject. 

Catharine. Please tell us first, papa, 
wb.ere Mr. Chapin is located, who left a 
beloved people in Massachusetts that he 
might labor in Canada. 

Father. He was installed in October 
last as pastor of the churches of Granby 
and Shefibrd : and I will detain you a mo- 
ment longer while I read an extract from 
his journal. " Spent the night with Mr. 

D. , found here an intelligent child five 

years old, whose history deeply affected 
me. She had come on from beyond Sher- 
brooke eighty miles on foot, with a traveling 
company of emigrants. Her mother is dead, 
and her father abandoned her, leaving her 
with a girl of infamous character. When 
her mother was buried, as they had no 
boards in the settlement, they split a log 
and put up two side pieces in the grave, 
dropped her in, laid another half log on the 
top. and covered her up. 

" When this wearied, worn-out and for- 
s?^n little sufferer reached Granby, she was 



ON CANADA. 67 

scarce able to go, her hard nail-fastened 
shoes were a gore of blood. It had dropped 
from her feet and dried in her shoes when 
I saw them. When on the road, and al- 
most unable to stand, she was tied to a 
chest on a small hand-cart. The boys 
would run with her. Sometimes she fell 
off. She was taken by Mr. D. in a needy 
plight, and transferred to a relative where 
I saw her. And when I saw the kind and 
pious Mrs. D. lay her down at night, in a 
little neat bed on the floor, and imprint an 
affectionate kiss upon her cheek, and heard 
the happy child say ' Now I lay me down 
to sleep,' and ' Our Father, who art in hea- 
ven,' I thought indeed God was good to the 
orphan, that his love for little children was 
infinitely more parental than that of father 
and mother. It carried me back to the 
scene when my own dear mother taught 
me the same lines, the first I ever knew. 
As I knelt down in our evening devotions, 
I could not but bless God, and more im- 
plicitly believe that not a sparrow falls to 
the ground without his eye." 



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The Attributes of God ; being a series of Conversations 

designed to Illustrate the Character of God. 
Memoir of Lusanna T. Pierce. 
The Path to Heaven. 

A Teacher's offering ; by the Wife of a London Clergyman. 
A Sabbath Note Book, — containing Minutes of Private, 

Family and Public Worship, the Sabbath School, fitc. 
The Scape-Goat. 
Christ our Passover. 
The Plagues of Egypt. 

Letters on the Mission to the Ojibwa Indians. 
The Happy Merchant; or the Power of Truth, illustrated 

in the last days of a Young Man. 
Stories of Eliot and the Indians. By Wm. A. Alcott. 



PUBLICATIONS. 3 

Missionary Labors and Results in the Hervey Islands. 

History of the American Mission to the Pawnee Indians. 

The Sabbath School Visiter. Vol. V. 

Infant Sabbath School Questions. 

A Biblical Catechism, for Infant Sabbath Schools. 

Newcomb's Scripture Questions, for Sabbath Schools and 

adult classes. Vol II. ^' 

Newcomb's P'irst Question Book. Vol. II. 
Memoirs and Select Remains of Charles Pond. 
John Arch. 

Memoir of the Rev. Samuel Davies. 
Memoir of Mrs. Myra W. Allen. 2d Edition. 
Memoir of Mary West. 2d Edition. 
Memoir of VVm. P. Hutchinson. 2d Edition, 
Memoir of Lucy Maria Bigelovv. 2d Edition. 
Memoir of Hannah B. Cook. 2d Edition. 
Memoir of Ann Elizabeth Pierce. 2d Edition. 
Memoir of Jane Judson. 
William Abbott Douglass. 2d Edition. 
Memoir of Felix Neff, Pastor of the High Alps. 
Robert Cutts Whidden. 3d Edition. 
Memoir of Miss Susanna Anthony. 

Conversations on the Sandwich Islands Missions. 2d Ed. 
Conversations on the Choctaw Mission. 2d Edition. 
Conversations on the Mackinaw and Green-Bay Missions. 

2d Edition. 
Ceylon Mission. 2d Edition. 



4 PUBLICATIONS. 

Cherokee Mission. 2d Edition. 

Indian Missions at Seneca, Tuscarora, and Cattaragus, in 
the State of New York, and Maumee, in the State of 
Ohio. 2d Edition. 
Letters on the Chickasaw and Osage Missions. 2d Ed. 
Conversations on the B^bay Mission. 2d Edition. 
The Stanwood Family, or the History of the American 

Tract Society. 2d Edition. 
Historyof the Pilgrims. 2d Edition. 
The Village Pastor. 

An Epitome of the Evidences of Christianity. 
History of James Mitchell. 2d Edition. 
The Naval Chaplain. 2d Edition. 
Louisa Ralston j or, What can I do for the Heathen 1 — 

2d Edition. 
Claims of the Africans. 
Hugh Clifford, or Prospective Missions on the North- West 

Coast. 
Stories and Sermons for Infant Minds. 
The Widow of Monmouth, or Family Instruction. Part 1. 
The Widow of Monmouth, or Family Instruction. Part II. 
The Reformation; A True Tale of the Sixteenth Century. 
Plea for the Heathen j or Heathenism, Ancient and Mod- 
ern. 
The Little Osage Captive. 2d Edition. 
The Great Apostacy. 
Letters to a Sister. 



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